BURGLARS stripped houses near York of property worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Among their victims were the chief executive of Yorkshire Electricity, Graham Hall, and a family that lost items worth £27,000, a jury at York Crown Court was told.

The items stolen in the four burglaries included war medals, oil paintings, valuable china and furniture.

Andrew Williams, 38, of Pottery Lane, Heworth, denies committing three of the burglaries, but admits handling goods stolen in the same house raids.

His brother, James Williams, 36, of Brecksfield, Skelton, denies committing two burglaries with which he is jointly charged with Andrew Williams, and a separate burglary. He also denies handling goods stolen in the three burglaries for which he is accused.

Prosecutor Tom Storey told the court that all four burglaries, which took place between late 1998 and early 1999, had features in common.

"These houses were targeted in a very professional manner," he said.

He said they all had security lights where the sensors were found smashed off the walls, security alarm boxes were found burned to plastic casing, alarm panels were more often than not smashed off the wall and entry was by forcing a window or patio door.

He said all four involved stealing amounts of property worth tens of thousands of pounds and all took place while the owners were away for the weekend or on holiday.

The court heard that Mr Hall and his wife cut short their foreign holiday after his chauffeur, Michael Barker, discovered the break-in at his home and that a second couple, who have a young daughter, were on a Florida business trip when their house was raided.

James Williams is accused of stealing items including war medals, jewellery and a video recorder from a house in Hillcrest Avenue, Nether Poppleton, between October 30 and November 2, 1998;

Andrew Williams is accused of taking crockery, furniture, jewellery and other items from a house in Green Hammerton between October 30 and November 16, 1998;

Both are accused of burgling a house in Main Street, Askham Bryan, and taking items including oil paintings and an Eddie Stobart model wagon, between January 27 and 30, 1999, and a burglary in Whixley on February 7, 1999. in which jewellery and china were taken.

Mr Storey said both men's houses were searched and various items from the burglaries were found.

Mr Storey said that during the two men's trial, forensic evidence would also be heard, matching a pair of trainers found at Andrew Williams' home with footprints on the floor of the Green Hammerton house and on an abandoned safe taken in the burglary, and with footprints in the Askham Bryan house.

He said gloves found in a coat in James Williams' house had pieces of glass in which matched a broken light sensor at the Whixley house.

The trial continues.